72



on the floor that it usually takes a chill, and dies. It evidently makes for the

window, but, not being able to hang on to the wire, very soon comes down.

When there is a light, it seems unable to find the window, and passes some

few hours flying round and round the room as if mad, usually the “way of

the sun,” and onty stopping for a brief space now and again to rest on the

highest perch near the wall, the others being evidently too far away from

the track of the bird’s flight to attract notice. This flight rarely continues

later than about 11.30 p.m., by which time I have generally found that

it has composed itself to sleep on its accustomed perch. The wave of

uneasiness in the Hoopoe lasts only a few weeks ; and all through the

winter it sleeps like a top, just occasionally dropping down for a moment to

take a bite of food. It is worthy of remark that a Hoopoe I now have

(April, 1895) has recommenced to be verj* restless : does he think it about

time to leave the villages and oases of Africa, or wherever he may fancy he

has passed the winter, and fly north to Europe, where he was born, and

bred, and imprisoned ?


I should like to mention one more case, that of a male Blue Rock-

Thrush. During the autumn it was over-shadowed by another, and never

moved at night from the dark corner in which it slept, a corner so hidden

away that no human eye could detect the bird in it. A few weeks ago the

instincts of the two birds developed to such an extent that I had to turn

the stronger one out into the garden. But now the Thrush in the bird-room,

after an inaugural period of uneasiness, has become almost frantic at night ;

and I am doubtful if it gets a single wink of sleep. It rushes round and

round the room, stops midway in the air, and rushes as madly round and

round in the opposite direction, with an occasional side-dash at the window.

Like the Hoopoe, perhaps it thinks it has had enough of Africa, and would

like to try the Tjunl air again. And really this is very likely, for the bird-

room is a little extra-warm just at present; and some little thing of this

kind may just make the difference which causes one bird to sleep quietly

and another of the same kind to develop a kind of frenzy. These two

Blue Rock-Thrushes have practically never seen a female of their own

species, and never look at one of another, and yet their pairing instinct

has developed. Why, then, under conditions which in a sort of way may

happen to be similar to those which prevail in the natural state, should not

the migraLwy Instinct develop in like manner? Anyway, taking the cases

I have cited, more especially that of the Cuckoo, we have a something, an

indescribable something, a madness, a frenzy, which has such complete

control over the bird that it Is literally “possessed,” and for the time

insensible or indifferent to pain. I know that the mice have nothing to do

with it, nor yet the ej^e of man ; and if it Is not the migratory fever I shall

be glad If somebody will kindl' let me know what it is.



OUR BIRDS.


I.


MY SMALL FOREIGN BIRDS.


By H. R. FiivLMER.


This Is not to be an article on Small Foreign Birds in general, or even

upon those species which are represented in my own collection ; but simply

a chat about some Individual birds now Inhabiting my bird-room.


Therefore I will ask you, my reader, to walk into my bird-room, and

I will act as showman, I say into, and not round my bird-room advisedly,

because there really is not room to walk round ; there is standing-room and

that is all.


You will see only one bird-cage in use, (there are a few empty ones

about), and that Is a double canary breeding-cage containing a pair of

Australian Crimson Finches, each in a separate compartment; you will

naturally ask: “Why are those birds kept in that cage, instead of being

in one of the aviaries; with the other birds;? ” Tlie answer is. that they have



